The present invention relates to apparatus for recording data on X-ray film or like radiation-sensitive bodies, and more particularly to improvements in apparatus for projecting the images of data (e.g., the information pertaining to a patient, the information pertaining to the physician in charge, the date of the making of X-ray pictures of a patient, the exact time of the day of the making of such pictures, etc.) onto X-ray films or other radiation-sensitive bodies. Still more particularly, the invention relates to improvements in apparatus for projecting images of data onto X-ray films or other types of radiation-sensitive bodies which are or can be confined in cassettes or analogous receptacles.
German Pat. No. 2,021,494 discloses an apparatus which can be used to project images of data onto X-ray films while the films are confined in cassettes. Cassettes of the type adapted to be used in the apparatus of this German printed publication are provided with windows which can be sealed against entry of radiation. The apparatus of the German publication is equipped with means for opening the window of an inserted cassette and with means for imaging data onto that portion of the film which is exposed in response to opening of the window. The information which is imaged onto the film portion behind the window in a properly inserted cassette can include the date of making of the X-ray picture of the chest, mamma or another portion of the body of a patient. The aforementioned means for opening the window of a cassette (the window is provided in one of the major panels of the cassette) is capable of opening the window in spite of the fact that the window lock is designed to resist or interfere with opening of the window by unauthorized persons.
It is customary to inspect the X-ray picture of the chest of a patient in such a way that the heart is located at the right-hand side of the picture. In other words, a physician normally observes the picture of a chest in such a way as if the picture were taken from the front of the patient's body. However, many X-ray pictures of human chests are taken from the rear (i.e., they are so-called postero-anterior pictures in contrast to the so-called antero-posterior pictures). The imaging of patient data takes place prior to or after the making of pictures of the chest and serves to replace cumbersome manual application of patient data to X-ray films and/or cassettes for such films.
A physician further wishes to record the time of the day when an X-ray picture was taken. To this end, the apparatus of the aforementioned German Patent comprises a timer disc which is driven by a motor and is mounted adjacent to the data carrier card so that the image of the disc can be projected onto the film in a properly inserted cassette. A drawback of such proposal is that the information which is furnished by the disc is often highly inaccurate and also that the information cannot be readily deciphered by the physician, by the nurse or another person in charge of examining and evaluating X-ray pictures. Moreover, the space requirements of the just discussed disc and of the motor therefor are quite pronounced, i.e., they contribute significantly to the bulk of the entire apparatus so that the latter could not be further equipped with a calendar to record the date (day and month) of exposure of X-ray film and/or other data applying equipment.